Information technology has proven adept at modeling a real-word system as an abstract model, and transforming the abstract model to a specific implementation platform so that the abstract model can be executed for testing and other purposes. Examples of such real-world systems that can be modeled include computing-related systems, such as large networks and other types of such systems. Modeling real-world systems is useful because it substantially ensures that the system will operate properly when the system is actually implemented.
Unfortunately, real-world system modeling does not address a significant gap between business process modeling and such information technology-related modeling. In particular, business processes typically include non-functional concerns. Such concerns are requirements of the resulting real-world system, other than the core functional expectations of the system. Examples of non-functional concerns include security-related and audit-related concerns. Since they are not technically needed as part of the core functionality of real-world systems, information technology modeling of the systems have historically ignored them.
This is disadvantageous, because the resulting business success of a real-world system, as opposed to the technical success of the system, can indeed be affected by whether these non-functional concerns are addressed. For example, a real-world system may technically perform as expected, but not provide for auditing, which is needed for business purposes. As another example, a real-world system may technically perform as expected, but not satisfy security issues, which may be needed for business purposes. Therefore, a shortcoming of prior art information technology modeling of real-world systems is that such modeling does not address non-functional concerns.